Abstract
Background and aim
Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient with major impacts on global crop productivity. Recent work showed that chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis can be used as a sensitive indicator of latent P deficiency across different plant species. Here, we demonstrate that chlorophyll a fluorescence OJIP transients are a powerful tool for early detection of P deficiency directly in the field.
Methods
Barley was grown in a P responsive field. One treatment received 30 kg P ha−1 at sowing, four treatments were fertilized with P at 26, 35, 46 or 56 days after sowing (DAS), respectively, and the final treatment did not receive any P throughout the experiment. Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements, multi-elemental leaf analysis, and growth stage evaluation were performed 26, 35, 46, 56, and 69 DAS.
Results
Phosphorus deficiency during early vegetative growth irreversibly affected plant development including tiller outgrowth and grain yields. However, in the present study, yield reduction could be avoided if short-term P deficiency was corrected by application of P fertilizer no later than 35 days after sowing, when plants had not yet entered the tillering stage. The chlorophyll a fluorescence OJIP transients were able to detect latent P deficiency in this critical phase, thereby providing an opportunity for avoiding a potential yield reduction of up to 27 hkg ha−1. It was further noted, that chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis and P leaf tissue analysis should be performed during early vegetative growth, as probable remobilization of P within the plant during tillering and shoot differentiation masks the effects of P deficiency at the single leaf level.
Conclusions
It is concluded that chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis provides a unique opportunity for a timely detection and correction of P deficiency under field conditions to prevent yield reductions.
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Acknowledgements
This work was funded by University of Copenhagen and Innovation Fund Denmark (Future Cropping). We are especially grateful to Leif Knudsen (SEGES) for assistance with identifying P responsive soils, Jens Lyhne Kristiansen (LandboNord) for preparing the experimental field and finally Frede Jacobsen for making his field available to us. This work was supported by the University of Copenhagen and Innovation Fund Denmark (Future Cropping).
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A.C., J.F., and S.H. are co-applicants on the patent (PCT/EP2013/069899) describing the use of chlorophyll a fluorescence to determine the nutritional status of plants, and are founders of the university spin-out SpectraCrop IVS, marketing a hand-held device for predicting the P status of plants. For this reason, there may be a conflict of interest in order to show that the developed P model is able to predict the P status of barley leaves under field conditions. It should be noted that similar OJIP transients, as the ones recorded in this study, can be obtained by a broad range of standard chlorophyll a fluorescence instruments, including Photon Systems Instruments (PSI), Walz, Hansatech, Opti Sciences, Phenospex and MultispeQ.
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Carstensen, A., Szameitat, A.E., Frydenvang, J. et al. Chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis can detect phosphorus deficiency under field conditions and is an effective tool to prevent grain yield reductions in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Plant Soil 434, 79–91 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3783-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3783-6